Towards a process paradigm in psychophysiology.
This article discusses a theory and method for classifying psychophysiological phenomena as processes prior to considering them as experimental responses. The initial aim then is to construe experimental units as continuous subject-centered processes whose beginning and end depends on the individuals' actions. Boundaries of such processes are systematically defined by first identifying the process as a dimension. Activities are then classified relative to this dimension. Process units are specified by considering two classes of activity which form opposite ends of the dimension of process. The two classes are equivalent in all respects save along the one dimension. These two classes are termed 'pro'- and 'null'-equivalence and are the process methods version of familiar H1 and H0 of hypothetico-deductive procedures. Proportional presence or absence of a parameter value during pro- and null-equivalence of a process is the basis for inferring that a particular measure does or does not typify the process. Actual parameter values of a measure can then form credible limits by which to classify other processes as equivalent or not. These limits can indicate for example whether two experimental effects are dealing with the same or a different process. There are some difficulties in applying this process method, but the general conclusion is that classifying psychophysiological responses at the outset in terms of process clarifies technical and inferential issues in experimentation.
O'Connor
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Hôpital Louis-H. Lafontaine, University of Montreal, Que., Canada.
D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D011603:Psychophysiology; D012107:Research Design